Teaching Math for Emergent Bilinguals: Building on Culture, Language, and Identity

Reviewed by Tim Sears, Associate Professor of Practice, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on 5/16/24

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

This open textbook is concise yet informative. Although some chapter sections might benefit from additional details, various relevant areas related to theory and practice essential to effective math teaching to Emergent Bilinguals are covered well and are framed in the BUMBLEBEE acronym ("Building Understanding in Mathematics By Leveraging Emergent Bilinguals’ as Equals in Education"). The preface and Introduction provide helpful background and historical context that complement the first chapter focused on a discussion of challenges that EBs face in math classrooms. The terms, theories, and frameworks explored in the first part (Chapters 1 and 2) provide a range of background knowledge that helps clarify for students the distinctions between ELLs and EBs. The second part of the open textbook (Chapters 3-6) provides concrete, concise, and accessible teaching practices and strategies important for maintaining high expectations of content in mathematics (and other STEM) classrooms. The final chapter discusses frameworks and models related to community cultural wealth and emphasizes viewing parents and community resources as assets that should be leveraged to maximize learning opportunities and expectations for students.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The many resources and references included within and at the end of each chapter provide accurate theory and practices that are beneficial to teaching mathematics to -- and improving the learning of -- Emergent Bilingual students. Relevant data, resources, and references are accurate and the many links and hyperlinks provide a rich base of supporting examples and opportunities for additional reading to supplement the concise open textbook.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Up-to-date content, examples, and resources are complemented by relevant theories important to and typical of literature reviews in the discipline. Clear tables of global data often involving useful comparison, as well as visuals and lesson analysis tools, make the open textbook relevant to meaningful approaches to teaching math to Emergent Bilingual students. The resources, examples of relevant educational projects, global models, frameworks, speeches, podcasts, YouTube videos, blogs, and student work examples provided throughout the text provide relevant connections between important theory and concrete practices and examples that students can learn from and either apply directly to or adapt in their mathematics classrooms. The examples embedded within and at the end of each chapter are often appropriate for and applicable to all students, not just EB students.

Clarity rating: 5

The headings and subheadings for each chapter are clear, informative, and practical for pre-service and in-service mathematics educators. Each chapter offers questions for self-reflection, as well as questions posed by the authors to consider. These make the application of the theory included clear and meaningful for educators. Various theoretical frameworks, models, conceptual lenses, and tools and included, discussed, and linked, which increase the clarity within each of the six chapters. Additionally, connections in some chapters to prior chapters' ideas make clear the relationships to ideas discussed in other chapters.

Consistency rating: 5

The authors' use of BUMBLEBEE ("Building Understanding in Mathematics By Leveraging Emergent Bilinguals’ as Equals in Education") as an acronym offers a consistent lens and a consistent reminder of and emphasis on the importance of equity and an asset-based mindset. The pre-reading and post-reading questions for each chapter serve as a consistent tool for pre-reading and post-reading analysis and reflection: Important ideas are emphasized in a practical personal way for the reader.

Modularity rating: 5

The Introduction and the six chapters are each modular (divisible) in nature, offering opportunities for concise yet informative assignments and organizational structure in a course. Each chapter provides 4-15 relevant references that often include direct hyperlinks for additional reading and exploration. The terms, theories, and frameworks explored in the first part (Chapters 1 and 2) provide a range of background knowledge that helps clarify for students the distinctions between ELLs and EBs. The second part of the open textbook (Chapters 3-6) provides concrete, concise, and accessible teaching practices and strategies important for maintaining high expectations of content in mathematics (and other STEM) classrooms. The final chapter discusses frameworks and models related to community cultural wealth and emphasizes viewing parents and community resources as assets that should be leveraged to maximize learning opportunities and expectations for students.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

(1) The headings and subheadings for each chapter are clear, informative, and practical for pre-service and in-service mathematics educators. (2) Each chapter offers questions for self-reflection, as well as questions posed by the authors to consider. (3) The pre-reading and post-reading questions for each chapter serve as a consistent tool for pre-reading and post-reading analysis and reflection. (4) The resources and references included within and at the end of each chapter provide accurate theory and practices beneficial to teaching mathematics to Emergent Bilingual students.

Interface rating: 5

No interface issues were observed, and the links and hyperlinks to various external resources and references embedded within and at the end of each chapter worked well.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammatical errors were noticed; the writing is clear and concise.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

There is a wealth of culturally relevant information, practical resources, and scholarly references in this open textbook. The resources, examples of relevant educational projects, global models, frameworks, speeches, podcasts, YouTube videos, blogs, and student work examples provided throughout the text provide relevant connections between important theory and concrete practices and examples that students can learn from and either apply directly to or adapt in their mathematics classrooms. The final (sixth) chapter discusses examples and implications beyond the classroom: Community cultural wealth models, parents as resources that should be embraced, and references to various frameworks in the chapter enhance the cultural relevance that forms the basis of this open textbook.

Reviewed by Shannon Tanghe, Assistant Professor, Metropolitan State University on 1/25/24

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

Wow, I loved this book! Important topics and well-presented in a very engaging format. This is a great collection of resources and insights from a variety of different sources, ranging from journal articles, websites, books, and a wide variety of digital resources embedded within the text. Each of the topics add an important layer to the discussion of teaching math for emergent bilingual learners.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Yes, solid content and thorough explanations and rationale provided throughout. Also, several historical perspectives included and descriptions of how research and thinking has changed over time.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Though many of the citations are seminal pieces, overall the citations and sources are somewhat dated. I would love to see an updated edition that includes more recent sources. I feel the content presented will remain timely and relevant in years to come.

Clarity rating: 5

The writing was very clear, appropriate and accessible.

Consistency rating: 5

The set up of the chapters is useful. The pre- and post-reading questions help to provide a solid framework that bookend the chapters and encourage thoughtful reflection. Each chapter consistently follows similar structure and patterns, with a great collection of resources throughout.

Modularity rating: 5

Each chapter is well organized and can be used as a focused individual chapter or combined and read through as a whole book. The chapters are short, concise and include strong excellent hands-on materials.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

I really appreciate the clear structure of each chapter. The clickable questions embedded within chapters were engaging and a great way for readers to connect and interact with the chapter content.

Interface rating: 5

The structure of this book is great. The interactive links and activities add depth and engage the reader. I loved the way so many different forms of multimedia tools were included throughout the book (videos, websites, podcasts, case studies, blogs, etc.)

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

Did not see any grammatical errors

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

Like that the authors introduced the controversies surrounding the labeling practices used in the field at the start to ground the book and describe why they opted for “emerging bilinguals” as their main term. The book includes many critically important issues like power and translanguaging AND provides specific details about what this looks like in the classroom. Loved the way the authors provide specific examples of how some of the math concepts show up differently in various global contexts; for example, the tables with mathematical notations from around the world were eye-opening!

Comments

I found this to be a fantastic resource and plan to use it in courses that focus on teaching multilingual learners in various content areas and also to recommend it as a must-read for math teachers. An excellent resource book!

Reviewed by Matson Amanda, Professor of Mathematics, Clarke University on 1/4/24

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

All is a specially reserved word in mathematics. I cannot say that ALL areas were appropriately addressed. There was an excellent overview of ideas with ample references for further exploration.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

I found no factual errors or inconsistencies.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The examples and language used in the text were chosen to be applicable now and in the future. The links for some of the resources are no longer valid but can be updated.

Clarity rating: 5

New vocabulary was appropriately packaged for understanding.

Consistency rating: 5

Readers know what to expect within the different chapters of the book through the consistency of formatting and terminology.

Modularity rating: 2

Some parts of the book can be taken out of context and used as a module. Most of the book referred back to previously established ideas.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The structure was easy to follow.

Interface rating: 4

The PDF had some choppy bits that were hard to follow without an internet connection. The occasional footnotes were not incorporated well.
The online book (linked in the PDF) was well organized and easy to navigate.
Some of the scenario slides in Chapter 3 (PDF & Online) were incomplete.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

The occasional grammatical error was distracting.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

This book did well at being aware of other cultures.

Comments

This is definitely a book I will recommend to colleagues who are learning how to embrace Emerging Bilinguals in their classes. I have quite a few students who speak multiple languages and found techniques in this book that will help me make my classrooms culturally sustainable.

Reviewed by Dougherty Jessica, Assistant Professor, Western Oregon University on 12/6/23

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This text is incredibly thorough and covers all topics indicated in the title and the table of contents. Within the topics, there is a mix of long standing ESOL education theory and concept and detailed coverage of newer approaches to ESOL education. While there isn't a glossary or index, all key terms are defined within each chapter. It’s so comprehensive that it could be used for general ESOL pedagogy courses even though the focus is math.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The text is very accurate. It includes multiple references at the end of each chapter. Even though a few chapters include older, although still very relevant research, most include research from 2009 to the present. All concepts addressed align with well known research and other texts regarding ESOL education.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

This text is incredibly relevant, as it integrates well known research, theory, practice, and pedagogy in the ESOL field with mathematics. It also incorporates newer approaches to ESOL education in a meaningful manner. The suggestions offered in this text are so relevant that they can be put into practice immediately, which means the text can be incorporated into ESOL education and mathematics pedagogy courses instantly.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is very user friendly and easy to navigate. It is written in a way that instructors can use it with all levels of students. It is very practitioner oriented, so it is clear and concise about how to apply the information disseminated in the reading. All uncommon, or field specific terms, are defined within the text.

Consistency rating: 5

Consistency is evident throughout the text. The concepts build on each other and also spiral through each other. The terminology and concepts are clear and consistently align throughout the text. The framework is excellent in that it is filled with links, videos, lists, tools, tables, and figures to equip the reader to implement these strategies and concepts as soon as possible. Instructors will find ample resources to empower students.

Modularity rating: 5

The layout of this text allows instructors to use the entire text or use subsections of the text only. It is cohesive, yet independent by chapter. Instructors could even pull out quotes, tables, lists, resources etc. to use within courses ranging from ESOL, diversity/CSP, math, to pedagogy.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Organization is strong in this text. All of the chapters build on each other and provide critical information for understating the key elements of the next chapter. The reading flows and is incredibly well laid out in terms of supplemental materials (ie: videos, tables, figures, lists, vignettes, frameworks) to support the reading and provide resources in an effective manner.

Interface rating: 5

The interface is solid and effective. The reader will not have any trouble navigating the text and its multitude of resources that are all easily accessible. All of the images/charts etc are displayed well and incredibly beneficial resources to the reader.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The text is 99.9% error free. There is one minor spelling error, but it does not distract the reader, nor cause confusion. Overall, it is well written and user friendly for readers.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

This text is focused on cultural and linguistic assets of all students learning English as an additional language. It will inform the reader about how to view culture and language in a positive way, and offers effective strategies for supporting all cultures. Instructors of ESOL courses at all levels can use portions of this text to support cultural awareness and responsive actions.

Comments

There are many courses tha twould benefit from this text.

Reviewed by Shoshannah Hernandez, Assistant Professor, Huntington University on 5/19/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

This book covers the overlap that exists in teaching mathematics and teaching emergent bilinguals. It addresses a lot of practical needs of teachers and the major theoretical concepts of teaching multilingual learners without getting bogged down with too much terminology and theory. On the other hand, it doesn't fully cover the two topics individually. For a methods course in teaching math you might need more specific strategies or methods for teaching a wide variety mathematical concepts/standards in general, for example. The same could also be said for a methods course in teaching emergent bilinguals, but the overlap is covered nicely, and I could see it used as a supplemental text or resource in either of the two types of methods courses.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

There are a lot of additional resources linked within the text to extend learning on the topic, but also to verify and clarfiy data and terms that are used.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The book includes links to external sites and resources that will likely be updated by a third party.

Clarity rating: 5

The book is very clear and easy to follow for either an undergraduate or graduate-level course.

Consistency rating: 5

I found no discrepancy in the terms or concepts used.

Modularity rating: 5

I could see an instructor easily pulling sections of the text for use in class individually, but it could also be used in its entirety.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The book starts with the basics of teaching emergent bilingual students, and then gradually adds strategies for how those basics are applied to math.

Interface rating: 5

I found no issues in the online or pdf version.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I didn't find any noticeable grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The text is very relevant and inclusive.

Comments

Overall, I was surprised by how much I liked this text. Even though the topic intrigued me, I couldn't imagine how an entire textbook could address the overlap between teaching math and teaching emergent bilingual students. However, the book did a great job of giving math teachers with mutlilingual learners practical ideas and a basic theoretical understanding of both.

Reviewed by WenJuan Mo, Instructor, West Virginia University on 5/2/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The Authors develop the content in a logical order. They start with the definition of ELLs and their current situations in math class. Then they provide some strategies on how to teach math to those students. They close by connecting learned mathematics to emergent bilingual families and communities. The authors also give some case examples and stories, making this book fun to read. I was impressed by one of the stories about a student who had a language gap with his mother. He did not learn the household language at school. Eventually, he lost effective communication with his mother because she did not know English. These kinds of examples make us seek a better way to educate emergent bilingual students, especially in a math class. Overall, it is an excellent book for preservice teachers, school educators, and others who work with K-12 students.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The content is accurate in this book. The authors make a precise clarification of using the Emergent Bilinguals(EB) instead of English Language Learners (ELLs). Even though the two terms are interchangeable, the phrase “ Emergent Bilinguals” indicates the authors' respect for English language learners without bias. One thing that could be considered is that the acronym “ELLs” may be more familiar to readers from other areas and regions.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Authors embed links to other resources, which help readers to understand the content thoroughly.

Clarity rating: 5

The authors convey concepts in a well-defined manner. I really like the table 5.1 in chapter five, which provides a framework for analyzing word problems.

Consistency rating: 4

Each chapter is well written with a consistent format. It starts with pre-reading questions, and ends with post-reading questions, except for chapter five. I did not see post-reading questions in that chapter. Additionally, the authors should be consistent in using the acronym EB for Emergent Bilinguals. The whole phrase is still used somewhere in the book after EB is clarified.

Modularity rating: 5

The layout of subheadings in each chapter is in a clear and logical manner. Each individual section is easy to take out as a separate part. Then it can be reused or reorganized for other purposes. I would like to use the section “Who are ELLs” in the introduction chapter for my C&I 311 course titled ELL and Language Acquisition for Elementary Teachers.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

This book is well organized. Each chapter is developed from the previous one. The content in each chapter flows very well.

Interface rating: 5

The book is easy to follow and access-friendly. I only found one link to “CRMT_TM Tool” in chapter two that did not work for me.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

In general, the book is well written. I read through it and have not noticed any grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

I appreciate the authors incorporating their teaching experiences and diverse backgrounds when writing this book. The topics in this book bring awareness to educators about emergent bilinguals.

Comments

I am glad the authors brought up the topic of power. If they could relate this to sociocultural theory and have a deep discussion about power and identity, that could make the content in-depth.

Reviewed by Madhavi Vishnubhotla, Instructor, Virginia Tech on 4/5/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

This book is for mathematics teachers, teacher educators, and others working with K-12 students from different cultures and languages. The authors provide definitions of various terms relevant to English Language learners and mathematics learning, discuss guiding theories of culturally sustaining pedagogy, and strategies for teaching mathematics to English Language Learners. The authors provide different classroom scenarios which prompt the reader deeply think about effective teaching strategies and the connections between learning mathematics and students’ families and communities. Every chapter begins and ends with Thinking Questions which help the reader make connections among the different chapters. The authors provide numerous resources in the form of videos and web links to research projects working on the mathematical learning of English Language learners.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

The content is accurate and well suited for mathematics in-service teachers, pre-service teachers, and teacher education programs.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

Weblinks to past and current research projects and embedded videos make the book a live textbook. Updating the links would be relatively easy and would increase the book’s relevance and longevity.

Clarity rating: 4

Ideas and concepts are presented in a clear manner. New words and acronyms are well defined.

Consistency rating: 4

Every chapter has pre and post-reading questions. This format is maintained. The post-reading questions at the end of every chapter prepare the reader for the next chapter. Chapters are neither too lengthy nor short which makes the book an interesting read.

Modularity rating: 4

All chapters have the same structure and are of reasonable length. The content can be divided into sections and the instructor can use the content to create classroom activities. The content flows well and each chapter connects well with the previous and following chapters.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Each chapter builds from the previous chapter. The content is presented in a clear and logical way.

Interface rating: 4

The book is user-friendly. All web links were accurate and images were clear. Videos embedded in the text were relevant and appropriate to the content discussed in the chapter.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The writing is simple, of good quality with no grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

I appreciate how the authors provide culturally relevant examples, compare mathematical notations between the US and other countries, and present classroom scenarios that are inclusive of a variety of races and backgrounds.

Reviewed by JD Procter, Assistant Professor Bilingual Education/TESOL, Eastern New Mexico University on 3/27/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

Authors provide a clear outline of comprehensive topics related to language learning and mathematics. There are clear justifications for why specific terminology is relevant. In addition, there is extensive coverage of terms relevant to mathematics, processes content learning, and numerous considerations that classroom teachers need to make to effectively work with language learners.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Authors provide adequate evidence as justification for assertions. The authors make a clear case to support how teachers may support language learning in a mathematics class. Their citations are accurate and justified.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Authors take clear advantage of multimedia presentation for their publication. I appreciated how links embedded in their book provided more depth to content.

Clarity rating: 4

While for the most part this text was clearly accessible, the one caveat that I would have to address is the lack of explanation of acronyms. For example, there is not a clear indication of how EB was initially used in this text. By providing clear reference to initial uses of acronyms, this would improve clarity.

Consistency rating: 5

Overall, this text is comprehensive in scope of language learning topics. I cannot speak for how the text would be received by a content specialist, in this case a teacher of mathematics, however, the text does address salient topics that affect language learners relevant across content. I would be inclined to share this text with other content teachers, for example, science or social studies, with the intention to show examples of how to approach language instruction through content.

Modularity rating: 5

I appreciated the sections which were consistent in length and depth. In addition, for each section there were discussion questions as a guide before as well as after reading. This structure helped facilitate interaction with the text.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Great organization of text. The topics progressed and built on each other cohesively.

Interface rating: 5

Links provided in the text were clear. The authors state accurately that the text could be read without using the links to material not included. Overall, organization allowed for a clear reading experience.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I did not observe any issues with grammar in this text.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

Authors provided references to multiculturalism in their content and examples. I can appreciate how their references address a wide audience while being cognizant that bias is sometimes a topic education needs to address.

Comments

This text offers valuable information connecting language learning and mathematics instruction. I plan to include this text as a resource for the preservice and in-service teachers with whom I work.

Reviewed by Tatiana Sildus, Professor, Pittsburg State University on 11/1/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

The book is intended for pre-service and in-service teachers of Mathematics, as well as others working with K-12 students with diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. The text provides theoretical foundations and looks at several practical aspects of educating English language learners in Mathematics, including specific challenges they face in the classroom, culturally sustaining pedagogy, teaching practices and strategies with a special focus on participation, and connecting learning Mathematics to students’ families and communities. The authors suggest a number of relevant web resources, such as TODOS Mathematics for All. A separate section provides links to resources for parents and schools. Adding an index/glossary would be beneficial.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

Overall, the content is accurate. Although the authors explain why they prefer to use the term “emergent bilinguals”, the terms “English language learners” (ELLs) and “emergent bilinguals” (EBs) are sometimes used interchangeably and/or in the same context in several chapters of the book.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The content is likely to stay current if materials in the links and references are periodically updated.

Clarity rating: 4

Most ideas and concepts in this text are presented in a clear manner. The details and culture-specific examples contribute to the overall comprehension. Since the term “emergent bilinguals” is used in the book title, while the term “English language learners” is also utilized sometimes, the book would benefit from a brief explanation when the terms ELLs and EBs are being used interchangeably. This would make it especially relevant to readers in other countries. The audience of practitioners will appreciate more specific explanations of theory in concrete terms.

Consistency rating: 4

Every chapter has the same logical and predictable structure with easily identifiable key elements. For instance, there are pre-reading and post-reading questions in each chapter. The terms "English language learners" (ELLs) and "emergent bilinguals" (EBs) are occasionally used interchangeably and/or in the same context/chapter.

Modularity rating: 5

The text is presented in chapters of reasonable length. With the exception of chapter one, the rest of the chapters could be assigned in any combination with minimal modifications. This provides flexibility for instructors and allow professors to rearrange the sections as needed.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The presentation of topics in the text is logical. Dividing occasional long paragraphs into smaller paragraphs would make the information easier to follow and more reader-friendly.

Interface rating: 5

Several formats (online, PDF, e-book) are available to the reader. The book is very easy to navigate. The user-friendly interface makes the book conveniently accessible.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

Overall, the writing is of good quality, without grammatical errors. The text follows the standard conventions.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

Both authors come from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, and this allows them to share valuable insights. The book contains culturally relevant examples, such as word problems and comparison of mathematical notations between the U.S. and Latin American countries, making it especially beneficial for practitioners.